Bowler&#39;s glove



Oct. 13, 1964 G. D. BARRY 3,152,337

BOWLER'S GLOVE Filed July 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 George 0. Barry INVENTOR.

Oct. 13, 1964 G. D. BARRY 3,152,337

BOWLERS GLOVE Filed July 6, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 George 0. Barry INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,152,337 BOWLERS GLOVE George 1). Barry, R0. Box 728, Healdsburg, Calif. Filed July 6, 1962, Ser. No. 297,922 4 Claims. (Cl. 2159) This invention comprises a novel and useful bowlers glove and more particularly pertains to a device constituting an aid to assist a bowler in imparting a greater lift to the bowling ball and thus improve the accuracy and speed of the bowlers delivery. ()wing to the relatively large size and weight of bowling balls, bowlers, especially in the case of young persons or those of relatively weaker strength and with relatively smaller hands, often encounter difiiculry in properly controlling the ball during its delivery. In particular, the ability to exert a greater force to the ball by the second and third fingers of the bowlers hand during delivery would result in imparting a greater lift for upward thrust to the ball thus increasing its spin and speed and thereby obtaining a greater accuracy and more eifective result from the bowlers delivery.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a bowlers aid which will contribute towards obtaining additional lift on the ball, greater speed and greater accuracy for the bowler.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bowlers aid in accordance with the foregoing object which may be quickly and easily attached to the bowlers hand and will provide a mechanical aid to supplement the strength of selected fingers of the bowler.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for use by bowlers to assist in developing proper finger action in the delivery of the bowling ball.

More specifically, it is an important object of this invention to provide a glove which shall be readily applied to the bowling hand and which shall include means for eifecting a resilient action tending to flex the second and/or third fingers of the bowler upwardly and toward the palm of the hand whereby as the bowlers fingers disengage from the ball fingerholes, the second and/ or third fingers will impart an additional lift to the ball supplemented by the resilient action of the device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bowlers aid in accordance with the foregoing objects, which shall be of relatively simple and lightweight construction, inexpensive, easy to apply or remove from the bowlers hand, and which will interfere as little as possible with the normal functions of the hand.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the novel bowlers glove in accordance with this invention with the glove applied to the hand but the wrist attaching member being disengaged from the bowlers wrist;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view but showing the glove completely applied to the bowlers hand and showing the action of the resilient means upon the second and third fingers of the bowler;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the bowler grips a bowling ball with the bowlers aid of this invention applied to the bowlers hand; and

FIGURES 46 are somewhat diagrammatic views i1- lustrating successive stages in the operation of this invention during the bowlers delivery of the ball.

Referring primarily to FIGURES l and 2 it will be observed that the bowlers glove in accordance with this invention includes a suitable conventional type of glove 3,152,337 Patented Oct. 13, 1964 ice indicated generally by the numeral 10 and which presents a hand-receiving body portion. This body portion includes a palm 12 together with a back 14, see FIGURE 3, a wrist portion 16 adapted to embrace and receive a portion of the wrist above the thumb of the bowler together with finger stalls. The finger stalls 20 and 22 adapted to receive the second and third fingers of the bowler are preferably complete. However, the finger stalls 24 and 25 which respectively receive the thumb and fourth or little finger of the bowler are cutaway so as to substantially completely expose the thumb 28, the first or forefinger 3i) and the little finger 32 as shown in FIGURES 1-3. This permits complete freedom of the use of these fingers without interference by the glove.

In addition to modifying a conventional glove so as to cutaway the stalls receiving the thumb, first and fourth finger of the glove, there is provided an attachment for applying a resilient force to the two remaining finger stalls 2i and 22. This attachment includes an anchor member in the form of a strap, band or other member preferably of a flexible nature and is indicated by the numeral 4%. The strap may include as conventional fastening means a pair of buckles 42 with which cooperate a pair of tongues 44 at the other end of the strap. The strap is thus adapted to embrace the wrist of the bowler and to also encircle the wrist portion 16 of the glove as will be seen by a sudy of FIGURES 2 and 3. The wrist portion thus serves to cushion or render more comfortable the firm embracing action of the member 49 upon the wrist.

A pair of resilient members consisting of the straps 46 and 48 are disposed in a generally parallel relation with their upper ends 50 and 52 respectively being fixedly secured to the anchor member or wrist strap 40 as shown in FIGURE 1. The other ends of these straps 46 and 48, as shown at 54 and 56 respectively are secured to the finger tip portions of the finger stalls 20 and 22 and preferably to the palm side thereof in closely spaced relation to the ends of the finger tip portions of the finger stalls. Any desired means may be provided for securing the extremities of the straps to the wristband and to the finger stalls. The straps are of any suitable material which is sufiiciently elastomeric in nature to cause the straps, when the anchor member 4% is secured to the wrists, and the glove is positioned upon the bowlers hand, to exert a continuous resilient force tending to fiex the second and third fingers resiliently upwardly and over the palm of the hand as shown in FIGURE 2. The elastic action of the straps therefore serves to supplement the fingers during the delivery of the bowling ball.

The operation of the device will now be readily understood. With the device in the position as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the bowler may grip the bowling ball 69 by inserting the thumb and the second and third fingers in the corresponding finger holes 62, 64 and 66 respectively in the bowling ball. It will be noted that the second and third fingers being encased in the stalls 2i) and 22 will cause the straps 46 and 48 to be stretched or extended as the fingers are inserted in the appropriate holes in the ball. The straps thus supplement the muscles of the fingers in the gripping of the ball and further in giving an upward thrust to the ball during the bowlers delivery.

FIGURES 4-6 indicate the manner in which this device assists the bowler in delivering the ball. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 4, the bowler is beginning his delivery with the hand being disposed behind the ball for lifting and pushing the same outwardly upon the bowling alley. In FIGURE 5, the thumb 28 has just emerged from the thumb hole 62 in the ball, while the second and third fingers still remain therein. However, it will be noted that in this position the second and third fingers are now a a 3 straightening thus increasing the tension of the straps 46 and 48. In the final position of FIGURE 6, the second and third fingers have emerged from their fingergrip holes. As they emerge, the normal action of the bowler is to cause these fingers to press upwardly against the ball increasing its spin or rotation. In addition, the bowlers aid in this invention supplements and increases this action. Thus, the straps 46 and 48 tensioned as indicated in FIGURE 5, now strongly tend to aid the muscles of the bowler in causing the fingers to flex upwardly and over the palm of the hand and during its upward flexing to impart addition pressure against the surface of the ball 'thus increasing the lift imparted thereto. As previously set forth, this action greatly increases the effectiveness of the bowlers delivery, his control of and the speed imparted to the bowling ball.

In addition to its function in increasing the effectiveness of the delivery of a matured and experienced bowler, this device thus also serves to aid in the training of inexperienced bowlers by causing their fingers to flex in the proper manner and at the proper time for effectively applying lift to the bowling ball. Further, it supplements any inadequacy or deficiency in muscular strength of bowlers and enables them to obtain a more effective delivery.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bowlers glove having a hand receiving portion including palm, back and wrist portion together with a stall for receiving one of the fingers of a bowlers hand, an anchor member for embracing and for attachment to the bowlers wrist, said hand receiving portion being cut away. to provide openings toexpose the major portion of the length of the thumb, first and fourth fingers, a pair of elongated straps having longitudinal elasticity and each connected at one end to the tip portion of a stall for the second and third finger, each strap being connected at its other end to said anchor member, said straps being tensioned and lying across the palm and continuously exerting a resilient force yieldingly urging the associated finger to upward flexing across the palm whereby to strengthen the action of the associated fingers and assist them in imparting additional lift to a bowling ball as the thumb and fingers disengage from a bowling ball finger holes during the delivery of the ball.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said straps lie in a parallel relation across the palm of the glove and are connected to said anchor member in spaced relation.

3. The combination of claim 1, said anchor member being adapted to embrace said wrist portion, said straps being connected to said anchor member on the side thereof which is adjacent said wrist portion.

4. A bowlers glove including a palm, back and wrist portion with at least one finger stall for receiving a secon or third finger of a bowlers hand, a member removably embracing said wrist portion for secure attachment to a bowlers wrist, a resiliently extensible strap of an elastomeric material having one end secured to said member and being disposed between said member and wrist portion, the other end of said strap being secured to the tip portion of said finger stall, said strap lying across said palm and exerting a continuous resilient force on the connected tip portion of said stall whereby to yieldingly urge the associated finger into upward flexing across the palm and thereby strengthen and aid said finger into imparting additional lift to a bowling ball when the bowlers fingers are disengaged from the ball finger holes during delivery of the ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A BOWLER''S GLOVE HAVING A HAND RECEIVING PORTION INCLUDING PALM, BACK AND WRIST PORTION TOGETHER WITH A STALL FOR RECEIVING ONE OF THE FINGERS OF A BOWLER''S HAND, AN ANCHOR MEMBER FOR EMBRACING AND FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE BOWLER''S WRIST, SAID HAND RECEIVING PORTION BEING CUT AWAY TO PROVIDE OPENINGS TO EXPOSE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE THUMB, FIRST AND FOURTH FINGERS, A PAIR OF ELONGATED STRAPS HAVING LONGITUDINAL ELASTICITY AND EACH CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE TIP PORTION OF A STALL FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD FINGER, EACH STRAP BEING CONNECTED AT ITS OTHER END TO SAID ANCHOR MEMBER, SAID STRAPS BEING TENSIONED AND LYING ACROSS THE PALM AND CONTINUOUSLY EXERTING A RESILIENT FORCE YIELDINGLY URGING THE ASSOCIATED FINGER TO UPWARD FLEXING ACROSS THE PALM WHEREBY TO STRENGTHEN THE ACTION OF THE ASSOCIATED FINGERS AND ASSIST THEM IN IMPARTING ADDITIONAL LIFT TO A BOWLING BALL AS THE THUMB AND FINGERS DISENGAGE FROM A BOWLING BALL FINGER HOLES DURING THE DELIVERY OF THE BALL. 